Assigutob



D. H. REEVES LIQUID LEVEL GAUGE July 5, 1932.

.alla

seams .my 5.1932

UNITED STATES PATENT .opp-ICE :corano n. nanvils, or nanou,

TIOH l DELAWARE omo, assienon, sa assrsmrnnrs, 'ro THE ueurnomna oonroaa'noir. ormone ISLAND' CITY, NEW`YOBK, A 'CDBPOBA- mevr-o anvar. sansa origini xo. 1.7s||,a'l|sa|aa` myY so, isao, semi no. mp9s, ma mummanm. Anuman m t reissue iled lebraary 18, 1988. Serial lo. 585,198.

My invention relates to hydraulically operated gauges for visually indicating the level or quantity of liquid in a tank or reservoir. The invention primarily is designed for use on aircraft of all kinds and especially airplanes to indicate at the instrument board the uantity of gasoline or other liquid fuel in e 'main reservoir.

It is desirable, especially in airplanes, to

have a liquid fuel level gauge o l wise than mechanically in order that the indicating dial or indicator may be located at a point remote from the reservoir both as regards distance and intervening objects.

1li A further object of my invention is to provide a liquid level gauge which entirely eliminates the use of a gland/between the reservoir and the indicator. Another object in view is to provide a h draulically operated I0 liquid level auge whic will correctl t indicate the leve or dquantity of liquid fue in the reservoir regar ess of changes in the temperature.

Other objects and advantages of the inven- 25 tion will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical section and partl e evation showing the mechanism of e gaigle. n l

80 Figure 2 is a verti sectional view of the.

indicator.Y i A Beferrin primarily to Figure 1 of the drawin 1 esignates a casig of any suitable materi such as sheet me 'the same being 35 securely fastened in a xedpositontothebottom of a tank or reservoir 1. Attached t0 A the to of the casing 1 is a bellows 2, the lower end o which is fastened to a vertically movable diaphragm 3. To the under side of the 0 diaphragm 3 there is attached'the upper end of mother bellows 4 and the botom o lows 4 is ixedly attached to the bottom of .the casing 1'. lThe bellows same capacity and each of said bellows 1s 1n 5 the form of 'a cylinder having a deeply corrugated side wall as shownwhich provides for vertical contraction land expansion thereof when subjected vto pressure as hereinafter perated other? vwhich' at its the bottom of the' lower gau the bel- 'l 2 and 4 have the Y shaped yoke 5 having fastened to the to thereof a block or bearing member 6 whic rests against a cam 7'. Fastened to the cam 7 and extending therefrom is a rod vor stem 8, andat the free end of said rod is a float' 9. All .the mechanism here described is contained withinA the tank or reservoir 1*, the float' 9 being adapted to rise and Afall with the level of liquidin said reservoir. i"

Communicating with the' top of the bellows 2 is one end of a tube 10 which at its other end communicates with a bellows 11 through a block or head 12 as shown, said block hav-I ing a paage 12 extending therethrough and opening into the bellows 11. Communicating with the bellowls` 4y is another tube 13 other end communicates with still another bellows`\14 by means of a passage 12" extending through the block or head 12 and communicating with said bellows 14. The bellows 14 has its lower end attached to the block or head 12 and has attached to its upper end a c up 15 which carries a centrally arranged guide rod 16 movable in a tubular guide 17 attached to the up r gauge housing 18, the bottom of whic is fastened to the block or head 12. To the bottom of the f head 12 there is attached the upper end of the bellows 11 and the latter has attached lte its lower end a cup 19 carrying a guide rod 20 working in a tu ular guide 21 attached to housing 22, the top of which is fastened to t e head 12. Bellows 11 and 14 have the same capacity. The bellows 2, tube 10`and bellows 11 contain a liquid havin a low coefficient of expansion and having t e same volume as the same kind ofvliquid contained in the bellows 4, tube-13 and bellows 14. Y

Attached to the cup 19 is an arm 23 and to the top of said arm is pivoted a link 24. 'At n the inner end of the link 24 there is another link which is pivotally attached at its upper end to the .cup 15. Pivotally attached to the link 24 between the members 23 and 25 is` another link 26 extending downwardly and having its lower'eict pivotally connectmi `ed toa sector gear 27 w 'ch meshes with a .pinion or gear 28 having attached thereto a pointei'29 movable over a graduated scaleA 30. l.

cam7 and liftin of yoke 5 and lock or in said reservoir The operation of the scribed is as follows:

As line or other liquid fuel rises in the t o 1, the oat 9 is raised, operating the the dia hra mechanism above deann member 6. This forces theliquid containe in the bellows 2 through the tube 10 into the'bellows 11, the ex ansion of which forces down the cup 19;v t the same time the diaphragm 3 in raising expands the bellows 4 which draws liquid from the bellows 14. This-forces vcup 15 downwardly. Since the bellows 2 and 4 are identical and the bellowsll and 14 -are identical the motions of will be the same. vThus arm 23 and link 25, and therefore links 24 and 26, will move simultaneousl forcing downwardly the sec-V tor gear 27 w ch by turmn gear 28 moves the pointer 29 over the gra uated scale, indicating the uantity or level of li uid in the reservoir on e scale 30, the latterY ing calibrated for the particular reservoir.

Now assume an increase The liquid at each side the diaphragm 3 will y expan and through` tubes 10 and 13 will expand the litquid in the bellows 11 and 14. In

such case e arm 23 and link 25 will move `the same amountbut in opposite directions and thus the link 24 will simply turn about its central pivot and will not move the link 26.

'lThe pointer 29 will therefore remain motion- While I have' herein shown and described one embodiment of the present invention it is to be understood that the same principles vmag-ile carried out in other ways as defined wi the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

of a liquid reservoir having opposed bellows positioned therein a plate between said belows and connected to each of the same, a f ioat means for im arting move- 'ment to said p ate and said Ibellows upon movement of said oat an indicator actuator including opposed be lows, Huid conducting conduits connecting said first named bellows tivelywith said second named bellows an visual indicating means connected to and actuated by the movement of said second named bellows.

2..-Iii a liquid level gauge,the combination of a liquid reservoir, o osed bellows in said reservoir, a plate, sai llows hav' their opposedends secured to 'said plate, a oat in said reservoir, means for imparting move 3 by means the cups 19 and 15I in temperature.

upon expansion of one of sai 1. In .a liquid level gauge, thecombination l of a liquid reservoir, o osed' bellows in .maill reservoir, a plate, sai llows havin their opposed ends secured to said plate, a oat in said` reservoir, means including a cam for.

imparting movement to said plate u n movement of said float to expand one be lows and contact the other upon the rise and fall of the liquid in said reservoir, indicatingv means without said reservoir and indicator operating means in communication with and actuated by said bellows.

4. In a'liquid level gauge, the combination of a liquid reservoir, o osed bellows in said reservoir, a plate, sai A llowshaving their opposed ends secured to said plate, a yoke connected to said plate, a cam in engagement with sai'dyoke, a oat in `said reservoir in connection with said cam whereby said yoke is moved by the movement of said float in said reservoir and by the connection 'of said yoke with sani contract the other upon the rise and fall of the liquid in said reservoir, indicating means without said reservoir and indicator operating means in communication with and actuated by said bellows.

5. In combination a float, and means controlled by said fiat for actuating said indicator, said means comprising a pair of liquid containing chambers and connections for causii one ofsaid chambers to be expanded and e other to be contracted by movement of said float, and includin a link connected to said chambers to be iily oscillatedV thereby upon expansion of both of u plate to expand one bellows and an indicator,

said chambersor contraction of both ofv said chambers and to be operativel 'bodi'l shifted chambers and contraction of the other.

I 6. In combination, a pair of liquid containing chambers, a`oat, an indicator,iloatcon' trolled means for' causing one of said chain-l bers to expand (or contract) and the other of said chambers to contract or expand) toactuate said indicator, and means including Vdevices for preventing thermal expansion or ics contraction of the li uid in said wchambers from actuatingthe -in cator, said devices including a-oat' link connected to each of said chambers tlge actuated by each of said chambers in opposite directions. A

In testimony whereof I hereto aix my signature. Y

DONALD' H. REEVES.

ment to said plate upon movement of said' float to expand one bellows and` contract the other upon the rise and fall of the liquid in said reservoir, indicating means without said reservoir and indicator' operating means in communicationwith and actuated by said bellows.

3. In a liquid level gauge, the combination iis Tige 

